Sharad Pawar extends support to West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee against CAA, NRC

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar has extended support of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) that was recently enacted by the Centre. Banerjee had asked opposition parties and non-BJP chief ministers to unite against CAA and NRC.

Responding to the CM's letter dated December 23, Pawar said that he agrees with her stand and pledged to stand in solidarity with the 'like-minded' leaders and parties against the implementation of CAA and nationwide NRC.

"I will be happy to associate myself with any concerned plan to rise against the authoritarian regime of the central government and for saving our democracy. Please inform about any meeting convened or any steps taken in this context," read the letter.

The development comes a week after the Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief wrote to Chief Ministers and senior



leaders belonging to Opposition parties, urging them to unite and chalk out a plan to 'save the country'.

"I appeal to all of you that at this juncture, let us all work together. Opposition parties must unite on one platform. The ruling party at the Centre is bulldozing this democratic movement by using state machinery and brute force," Mamata had written in the letter. 

Last week, Banerjee had urged the students' community to remain united and continue their agitation against NRC and CAA.

“This government is even persecuting students. I have heard they have even shut down all students’ hostels in Delhi. They are afraid of this movement. I will request the students not to be scared. They are the voters of the country. It is their right to protest. No one can stop them. I am urging all students to remain united and continue your fight against NRC and CAA,” she had said at the end of her rally at Mullick bazar.